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Crimea Says It's Part Of Russia, Ukrainian Troops 'Occupiers'

Crimea Says It's Part Of Russia, Ukrainian Troops 'Occupiers'
Reuters
In this photo taken Wednesday, March 5, 2014, pro-Russian supporters chant slogans during a rally at a central square in Simferopol, Ukraine. Ukraine is facing a potentially crippling geographic and cultural divide, a growing gulf between supporters of Russia who dominate the east and south of the country, and western Ukrainians who yearn for closer ties to Western Europe. One side of that divide is even starker in Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula. For much of the past 200 years, Crimea was under Russian and Soviet control, and today most Crimeans see themselves as only nominally Ukrainian and Russian is, by far, the dominant language (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
In this photo taken Wednesday, March 5, 2014, pro-Russian supporters chant slogans during a rally at a central square in Simferopol, Ukraine. Ukraine is facing a potentially crippling geographic and cultural divide, a growing gulf between supporters of Russia who dominate the east and south of the country, and western Ukrainians who yearn for closer ties to Western Europe. One side of that divide is even starker in Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula. For much of the past 200 years, Crimea was under Russian and Soviet control, and today most Crimeans see themselves as only nominally Ukrainian and Russian is, by far, the dominant language (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

SIMFEROPOL, March 6 (Reuters) - The decree making Crimea part of Russia is already in force and Ukrainian troops still on its territory will be treated as occupiers and forced to surrender or leave, the Russian-controlled region's deputy prime minister said.

"The only lawful armed force on the territory of the Crimea is the Russian armed forces," Rustam Temirgaliev said.

"Armed forces of any third country are occupiers. The Ukrainian armed forces have to choose: lay down their weapons, quit their posts, accept Russian citizenship and join the Russian military. If they do not agree, we are prepared to offer them safe passage from the territory of Crimea to their Ukrainian homeland." (Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Alison Williams)

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